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Halstead (population approximately 2,000) lies near the center of Harvey County Kansas. It is a cozy little city nestled among the natural and artificial groves on the banks of the Little Arkansas. The city is adorned with shade trees and parks, which are some of the finest natural picnic resorts in central Kansas.
Founded largely by Russian Mennonite immigrants, the city of Halstead was incorporated in 1877 and named in honor of journalist Murat Halstead. With the hard red winter wheat (Turkey Red) they brought from Russia, the Mennonites established Halstead as a farming community, and built the Bernard Warkentin Mill at the confluence of the Little Arkansas River and Black Kettle Creek. A famous "pow wow" between the frontiersman Kit Carson and the Native American Chief Black Kettle had taken place some years earlier at this same confluence.
Halstead, which occupies a land area of just over one square mile, is located approximately ten minutes west of Newton, Kansas, via US-50 and K-89 highways; about 25 minutes east of Hutchinson on US-50; and about 30 minutes northwest of Wichita, a metropolitan area of approximately 400,000 in population. Halstead is a "city of the second class" under Kansas statutes, but has retained the "city of the third class" governance plan that provides for an elected mayor who serves a two-year term, and five council members elected at-large for two and four-year terms, which are determined by the vote outcome. Management of the city is delegated to a city administrator, hired by the governing body.
The main line of the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad passed through Halstead up until the early 1970's. The Halstead Historical Society purchased this depot in 1988 and has turned it into a museum for The City of Halstead.
Since 1902, when Arthur Hertzler, the "Horse and Buggy Doctor," established his clinic and hospital, the city has been widely known as a medical community. The Hertzler Clinic is now owned and managed by a professional association of physicians with specialties including: cardiology, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, orthopedic surgery, Ear, Nose and throat care, pathology, podiatry, psychiatry, pulmonary medicine, radiology, rheumatology, general, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery.
Clinic patients come to Halstead as self or physician referrals from the immediate area as well as locations throughout south central and western Kansas.
For many years, Halstead was "home" to a semi-pro baseball team, the Halstead Cowboys, and produced many fine ball players, including Larry Gura. Halstead is the boyhood home of the late Adolph Rupp, legendary basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Halstead High School has hosted the annual Rupp tournament since 1976. Conrad Nightingale, a HHS graduate, competed in the 1968 Olympics. Since 1971 Halstead High School has hosted the Conrad Nightingale Invitational Track Meet.
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